Trade union revival after WW1

Question 1

Triple alliance 1914

Answer 1

• Miners union united with the NTWF and NUR
• represented miners, railwaymen and transport workers
• helped effective co-ordination of strike action

Question 2

The council of action 1920

Answer 2

• London dockers refused to load a ship with munitions to be used against Russia
• Bevin took lead in pressing formation of a council of action to prevent British involvement in war vs Russia
• council pledged to mobilise mass strikes should the threat prove real

Question 3

Formation of the AEU and TGWU

Answer 3

• in early 1920s demand for labour falling
• unions in weaker bargaining position with employers
• 1921 Associated Engineering Union (AEU) formed
• 1922 Transport and General Workers Union formed (TGWU)
• unions merged into big consolidated unions to strengthen position

Question 4

Black Friday 1921

Answer 4

• coalmine owners, experiening huge financial losses, planned to cut wages so they could produce coal cheaper - more competitive
• miners refused to take wage cuts
• mine owners locked out workers
• NUR and NTWF cancelled sympathetic strikes as miners refused to engage in negotiations
• seen as betrayal

Question 5

Impact of Black Friday

Answer 5

• led to collapse of the triple alliance
• forced the TUC to change its organisation
• set up a general council to deal with inter-union disputes and co-ordinate industrial action